Wafer Technology shares in DTI Award to Develop new InP based Thermophotovoltaic Devices

01 March 2006

Wafer Technology Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cardiff based IQE plc, is pleased to announce its participation in a new project to develop high efficiency ThermoPhotoVoltaic (TPV) cell technology based on InP substrate material. In partnership with the Centre for Integrated Photonics and Oxford University, funding from the DTI and EPSRC through the Technology Programme will support a three year project to develop low cost high efficiency TPV cells based on the InGaAs/InP material system.

Wafer Technology will be responsible for developing a new range of low cost InP substrate technologies. CIP will perform epitaxial growth, device fabrication and testing, and the University of Oxford will engage in cell design and the fabrication of fully packaged TPV modules.

Ray Brunton, the Company’s Crystal Growth Operations Manager commented “As Europe’s leading manufacturer of InP substrates and the main producer worldwide of GaSb used in existing TPV devices, Wafer Technology has a long standing involvement in TPV technology through other collaborative projects, and is ideally placed to assess, control and exploit the effects of starting material quality and price on the performance and cost of TPV devices”

Minister for Science and Innovation Lord Sainsbury said: “The Technology Strategy helps develop competitive advantage for British businesses so they can be at the cutting edge of the global knowledge-based economy.

“It is about encouraging collaboration in order that companies can invest for the future and develop new world-beating products.

“I congratulate the project participants and wish them every success.”

 

Notes to editors

THE TECHNOLOGY PROGRAMME

This project is part-funded by a Collaborative R&D grant under the DTI Technology Programme.

Further information can be found at: www.dti.gov.uk/technologyprogramme

 

Contacts:
 

Wafer Technology Limited:

Mark Furlong: +44 (0)1908 210444

IQE plc:
Chris Meadows: +44 (0)2920 839400